Rep. Chad Puryear’s House Bill 1007, introduced to the Arkansas House Judiciary Committee on January 21, 2025, aimed to regulate liability for youth shooting sports events and provide immunity to certain individuals involved in those events. However, following concerns raised by committee members, Puryear withdrew the bill for revision.
The committee sought more detailed language and statistics to better understand how the bill would impact youth shooting sports and ensure safety. Several issues were highlighted, including the lack of distinction between for-profit and nonprofit events, the omission of the term “youth” from the proposal, and the bill’s failure to address potential negligence and the possibility for victims to seek recourse.
Puryear explained that the bill was modeled after the state’s equine competition policy, but committee members, including Rep. Andrew Collins, questioned whether the immunity provision could undermine the responsibility to exercise reasonable care.
Puryear did not provide data or examples from other states to support the bill’s potential benefits for youth shooting opportunities, which also led to further skepticism. Additionally, Rep. Nicole Clowney pointed out the inherent dangers of firearms compared to horses, further complicating the bill’s proposal.
After initially resisting revision, Puryear agreed to pull the bill for further refinement. The committee did approve one other piece of business regarding the redesignation of the 14th Judicial District, and the scheduled appearance of Chief Supreme Justice Karen Baker was postponed due to a conflict in her schedule.